“Should’ve known…on both accounts.” An almost boyish grin grows on his face. “Kinda just wanted to check on you, ya know?”
“You remember I’mthirty-eightand noteight,right?” Teasing doesn’t hesitate to tap dance through my tone. “You don’t have to make sure I’ve got plenty of things to keep me busy while you’re away in Chicago for drills camp or Boston for skating or Miami for strategy.” The lighthearted reminder to our youth deepens his coyish smile. “Remind me again. Where are you headed after vacation?”
“I’m with Mari and the kids in Hawaii for two weeks-”
“Mom and Dad are watching the dogs this time?”
“Yeah, we dropped them off last night. You know how much they love our parents’ backyard.”
That’s because they can run wild and free while Dad casually smokes a piece of his cigar each night.
“They fly home while I fly to Detroit for a sports leadership conference. From there I get to come home for a day before going out to NOLA for a communication and conflict conference. Home again for two days and then I’m off to Vegas for a coaches only summit.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, I’ll miss some of the end of summer shit – like the team calendar shoot and rookie vetting – but I’ll be back in time for the full organizational outingprefull team training camp.”
There’s no stopping the smirk that slips onto my face. “Gahhhhh,you’re gonna be so busy.”
“I hate it.”
“You love it.”
“I do, but,” a small chortle is attached to his headshake, “I hate spending less time withyou.”
“Like your wife,” my head sassily tips to one side, “I’ll survive.”
“She has our kids to keep her busy as well as her new jewelry business.”
“And I’ve got my practice.”
His lips briefly press together, warning me of the words I know he’s about to spew, because healwaysdoes.
Because he feels like it’shis jobto take care of me.
Because in his head, I’ve never learned to take care of myself.
“I hate that all you do is work, Gilly.”
“And I hate that you feel the need to give me this speech every summer because you’ve got misplaced guilt about having a career and a family and life outside of me.”
Shame slightly stiffens his jaw.
“Ilikeworking, M.”
“I like knowing you have a lifeoutsideof work even if it’s just getting a cup of coffee with your big brother a couple times a week to talk about the buds you would be more interested in banging had younotseen what they were packing between their gums.”
“Gingival recession is disgusting!”
“I know.” Small snickers slip between statements. “I’ve seen the pictures in your medical guides.”
“Also,” a sassy head bob is presented, “Idohave a life outside of work. I just went to Highland with Aly and Kira this past weekend, remember?”
“Yeah. You didn’t text much.” He lets himself fully smile again. “How was that?”
Amazing until I realized the man I was undeniable overbite crazy about was off-limits.
“Fun,” leaves my mouth in a less than convincing tone prompting me to stuff down my nervous tick hiccup that’s building, “mostly.”
